Editor’s note: The Sunday Dispatch is celebrating its 70th anniversary. Information appearing here is reprinted exactly as it appeared in the March 16, 1947 issue of the Dispatch.

An outstanding monument to those who served their country in time of peril.

That is the aim of a large group of people in Pittston, whose efforts are being concentrated in the persons of Roland Weiscarger, city controller and a commander of Finnen-McHugh Post, Catholic War Veterans; Charles Ferrara, commander of Pittston Post, 836, American Legion and Arthur Fullagar, commander of Fort Pittston Post, 635, Veterans of Foreign Wars.

It is planned to design a striking memorial dedicated all those who served in all American Wars. The memorial would be erected on the grounds in front of city hall where the rapidly deteriorating honor roll now stands. City officials have expressed their agreement with the plan.

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Funds for the memorial would be obtained mostly from moneys now held by various service clubs in the various wars. It is believed that several thousand dollars is held by these clubs which functioned during war time to pay tribute to department servicemen, and there is little likelihood of expanding the money. To distribute it equally among all the ex-servicemen in each ward would provide the recipients with a mere pittance.

Sponsors of the memorial plan state that one ward in the city has $1,500 accumulated and another $400. If the service clubs turn the money over to a memorial committee, it planned to conduct basketball games between local high schools to finance the remainder of the project. The committee is against burdening individuals to erect the Memorial.

A meeting will be held Tuesday night at 8 o’clock in the council chambers at city hall. Each service club in the city is requested to have a representative at the session to discuss the plan and to determine what arrangements can be made to erect such a Memorial.

Service Clubs Will be Asked to Give Unused Funds – Erection to be at City Hall